Two days after a grueling back-to-back on the East coast, Denver heads to Chicago for a Saturday matchup with the Chicago Bulls. After playing the Thunder, Knicks, and Pistons in three straight games, Denver will be happy to see a struggling Bulls team that was a seller at the trade deadline. Before this contest begins in Chicago, you can keep reading to get my Nuggets vs Bulls prediction in the NBA.
Our Nuggets vs Bulls Pick
Pick: Nuggets -5.5 ATS PRO
Confidence: 4/5
Game Snapshot
Matchup: Denver Nuggets @ Chicago Bulls
Date & Time: February 7, 2026, 8:00 PM ET
Venue: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Broadcast: NBA League Pass
Key Storylines
Form and records: Denver sits 33-19 overall with a 19-9 road record. Chicago is 24-28 with a sturdy 15-11 record at home.
Injuries to watch: For Denver, Aaron Gordon remains out with a hamstring issue, while Cameron Johnson is listed as questionable with a knee concern. Peyton Watson is also out for Denver, which is a shame for them, as he has been incredibly effective of late for the Nuggets. For Chicago, Josh Giddey and Tre Jones have been listed as out with hamstring issues, and several players are questionable for the Bulls after being traded to Chicago at the deadline.
Tempo contrast: Denver prefers a methodical pace, sitting near the bottom-5 in pace rankings, yet leads the league in effective and true shooting percentages. Chicago plays faster, sitting in the top-5 in pace, which can inflate totals if Denver’s shooters can make their shots.
Star power: Jokic continues to stack MVP-level numbers now that he is back on the floor. He is averaging a triple-double and will try to figure out how to get his team a win to snap their current losing streak. Jamal Murray is also scoring at an elite level this season and that duo will try to take advantage of the fact that the Bulls traded so many key pieces away.
Nikola Vucevic and Coby White were both traded away from the Bulls at the deadline and it will be interesting to see how they generate any offense with that in mind. Chicago won't have Giddey to lead their offense here, and a lack of key pieces to fill that void could really hurt the Bulls tonight.
Head-to-Head & Betting Trends
The Bulls won the first meeting between these teams this season by three points.
Denver is 30-22 against the spread so far this season.
Chicago is 25-27 against the spread going into this matchup.
The under is 28-24 in Bulls games this season.
The Nuggets are an NBA-best 33-19 to the over for the season.
Nuggets vs Bulls Model Projection
Score Projection: Denver 124 – Chicago 116
Win Probability: Denver 62%, Chicago 38%
Final Thoughts
Offensive consistency will likely be the difference in this game. The Nuggets have most of their top weapons on offense with Jokic and Murray both healthy at this point. Chicago can't say the same, as they are missing Giddey and traded away the biggest helpers for Giddey on the offensive end of the floor. I'll lay the points with the Nuggets with that in mind.
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